I could eat my weight in warm chocolate chip cookies.

No lie. I have such a sweet tooth. And after I found that Pizookie at BJ’s? It was a life changing moment for me.

There really is nothing more comforting than a fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie. But if you want to really up the ante, you’re going to need your cast iron skillet.

If the thought of cooking in a cast iron skillet scares you, never fear! You can do it! The thing with a cast iron pan is that the surface gets a lot hotter than a normal baking sheet. So that’s why you see people cook everything from steaks to roasted potatoes in them. But the beauty of them is that while they may get hotter initially, they stay hotter longer – which means they’re perfect for baking as well.

I learned this by growing up with a day who loved the outdoors. He was heavily involved in my brother’s boy scout shenanigans and loved any excuse to cook outside.

But all of that really came in handy when Hurricane Ike hit the Texas Gulf Coast. After the storm hit, we were without power in our home for 14 days. That’s two full weeks of having to get creative with cooking. So that cast iron skillet came in handy. We would stick it on the outside grill and make everything from lasagna to brownies in it. Isn’t that hilarious? Cast iron is great for cooking and I hope you’ll explore cooking in yours more like I have.

And this recipe for a cookie a la mode is the perfect way to start your cast iron cooking career. So if you’re a lover of the skillet cookie like I am, this recipe is going to be perfect for you!

Do I Need to Grease the Cast Iron Skillet before Use?

Nope. That’s the wonderful thing about cast iron. You don’t need to butter, spray, or flour the skillet before putting the cookie batter in it. The cookie batter contains enough butter in it to help it separate from the skillet.

How Do I Clean a Cast Iron Pan?

Under warm running water, use a scrub brush or pan scraper to get rid of the excess food debris in the pan. If you don’t have a scraper, you can make a paste out of coarse salt and water that you can scrub the pan nicely with. Do not use soap. Do not put in the dish washer. Cast iron is a different kind of cookware, so you’ll need to treat it as such if you want it to last.

Lastly, you will want to season the pan. I put a tablespoon of coconut oil in my pan, turn the fire on underneath it so it melts, and then use a paper towel to wipe the oil all over the pan. This will keep it from rusting and will protect the pan.

If your cast iron skillet does get a bit of rust on it, scrape it down with aluminum foil. It will take it right off.

How Do I Make This Cast Iron Cookie?

You can find the recipe for this delicious sweet indulgent treat below or watch the video here.